


You've heard this one before

by wolfsan11



Series: Sheith Positivity Week 2017 (Summer Week) [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Annoying aliens, Established Relationship, Fluff, Humor, Kisses, M/M, Multiple ones - Freeform, Mutual protectiveness lmao, Protective Keith (Voltron), Protective Shiro (Voltron), Religion in space?? Sort of, Sudden Feels, marriage proposals, sort of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-30
Updated: 2017-07-30
Packaged: 2018-12-08 20:12:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11653884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wolfsan11/pseuds/wolfsan11
Summary: “What exactly do you mean by that? Union?” Shiro asks, grasping on to a politeness that he really doesn’t mean. Because, sure, some things just didn’t translate through different cultures, but unless he was grossly misreading their earlier statement, then–“Ah, the union of marriage, of course!”Oh. Nope, he’d read it exactly right.-In which aliens want Keith to marry their divine Lord and Shiro is just tired. Cue the bad humor, bantering and feels session.





	You've heard this one before

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this thinking it'd be less than 1k and then it kept going and going and going and suddenly it was 2k+ lmao
> 
> Fluff and humor, look at that :O

Shiro prays for patience and understanding and wonders why he and Keith ever agreed to this mission at all.

“You want him to _what_ now?”

He knows there’s a muscle in his jaw that’s twitching as he stares down at the little cluster of aliens in front of him. Rebbings, he reminds himself, Coran’s crash course still fresh at the back of his mind. The Rebbings stare back, beaming wide, most of their attention off to his right side and fixed on a very uncomfortable-looking Keith.

One of them had introduced himself as Tosca and Shiro is about 60% sure he’s the leader, because of his initiative and how much closer he keeps stepping towards them. Either Tosca isn’t intimidated by Keith’s baleful glare and Shiro himself looming tall over all of them . . . or he’s an idiot.

“Without your aid, the Galra would have taken our Lord’s resources and our people, tainting us beyond all measure!” Tosca exclaims, flapping his stubby arms wildly above his head. Shiro stifles the bubble of amusement that rises in his chest and tries to look disapproving, but it’s harder than he imagined.

Tosca, meanwhile, takes a deep breath, cheeks puffing out in apparent delight as he continues speaking.

“In gratitude, we give you our most humble desire: we wish for the fierce Paladin of the Sun to find his place amongst us and join the Lord in union!” he says, repeating the words that had put Shiro on edge in the first place. He directs his own glare at Tosca and feels some measure of satisfaction when the alien’s grin simmers down to a more hesitant one.

“What exactly do you mean by that? Union?” Shiro asks, grasping on to a politeness that he really doesn’t mean. Because, sure, some things just didn’t translate through different cultures, but unless he was grossly misreading their earlier statement, then–

“Ah, the union of marriage, of course!”

Oh. Nope, he’d read it exactly right.

The words seem to thrill the other Rebbings as they start chattering up a storm, the antennae atop their heads wiggling from side to side. Their watery eyes go bright and a little manic as their hands flutter excitedly over their furred, rotund bodies.

Keith lets out an odd squeak and shuffles closer to Shiro. Shiro, for his part, drops all pretence of diplomacy and crosses his arms over his chest.  


“I don’t think so,” he says, firmly. “Keith and I are together, so you’ll have to find someone else for your Lord.”

Silence sweeps over them immediately, as effective as a mute button. The Rebbings slowly turn to face him, giant eyes glinting and disquieting in their intensity. Shiro's eyes start watering immediately as he holds himself still and tries not to blink. Intimidation tactics, right? Surely it’d work on these fuzzy lumps of fur. . . Right?

He nearly jumps at the brush of something against his back, realising just in time that it’s only Keith.  


“You think we’ll need to fight our way out?” Keith murmurs into his ear, pressing himself closer against Shiro. Shiro lifts his shoulder in a minute shrug, twitching his head a little to indicate him to wait, and Keith settles, maintaining his position at his back. Shiro knows he’s keeping an eye out for the other Rebbings surrounding them, so he concentrates on the ones in front of him, freeing his arms to his side in case they _do_ need to fight.

When the Rebbings finally move, though, it’s so fast that he completely loses sight of them. He flinches hard and swings his arm up as they disappear from his vision and reappear–  


Uh.  


Shiro lets his arm fall, dumbfounded, as the little aliens bounce away from him rather than towards him. They group together into a small circle and start babbling away furiously, though it’s nothing discernible beyond a flurry of high-pitched noises.  


Keith’s chin digs into Shiro’s shoulder as he peeks over it.  


“Um. What are they doing?” he asks, tone rising with his confusion.  


“I have no idea,” Shiro replies, blankly. Allura had told them that Rebbings could be fierce when provoked–a thought that had been laughable when he’d first seen their short stature and cutesy appearance, but seems increasingly plausible now–yet this . . . it looks like a discussion between living and breathing stuffed toys. Shiro idly wonders if they’ll be invited to a tea party soon, complete with fake food and a tiny plastic tea set.  


Then he takes a closer look and notices the way their antennae are glowing a silvery blue, the chant of their voices rising and falling in tandem, like some kind of ritual. Well, that was just _freaky_.  


“Maybe we should leave,” he mutters, glancing back at Keith. Keith looks all set to nod until he glances past Shiro again, his mouth parting in sudden alarm. Shiro hastily turns back just in time to see the Rebbings whirl towards them, their grins as wide as ever.  


“We have conversed!” says Tosca, who Shiro is now 80% sure must be the leader of their little alien band. “And our divine Lord is graceful as expected, our Universe-Creator and Scion of the Galaxies, so well-versed and generous! For he who–”  


“Get _on_ with it already,” Keith growls.  


Tosca deflates, quite literally. His fur and antennae droop along with his smile as he stares at them reproachfully. He sighs and continues to speak in a much more subdued tone. “The Lord understands the Paladins’ dilemma and presents you an offer. The Lord, most bountiful is he, has deemed to see the equal worth of the Paladin of Stars, and has no qualms in marrying him too, s–”  


There’s a hand around Shiro’s wrist and next thing he knows, he’s being spun around and tugged into a fast walk. Keith marches them away, throwing a terse “We’re leaving” at the Rebbings, who begin to protest and chase after them with panicked cries.  


“Uh, Kei–” Shiro tries to say, but Keith won’t have any of it.  


“ _Leaving_ ,” he insists, and Shiro can’t quite see his face from here, but he can imagine his stormy scowl already. Keith drags him all the way to where he'd landed the Black Lion, the Rebbings following on their heels and begging for them to stay, throwing more offers their way. Each one only serves to make Keith angrier, his nails digging into Shiro’s hand. Shiro’s caught somewhere between feeling gratitude and a strange softness at the fact that Keith had chosen to grab his prosthetic hand with no apparent qualms.  


Soon enough they’re in the cockpit, and the Rebbings keep a fair distance away from the Black Lion, not daring to approach within reach of her claws. Keith releases him as soon as they’re inside, and Shiro takes his seat, making quick work of getting them out of there.  


They’re quiet, watching the planet fall away as they leave its atmosphere. The silence is almost peaceful, but Shiro knows it’s anything but. He chances a glance over at Keith and watches as he leans against the side of Shiro’s seat, crossing his arms tight across his chest.  


“Stupid aliens,” Keith seethes through gritted teeth. “The sheer _nerve_.”  


Shiro snorts, the entire situation suddenly striking him as hilarious. Maybe it’s not the most appropriate response, considering they’d just lost a potential ally, but they're better off that way, in Shiro’s opinion. Still, he can’t help but tease a little bit.  


“I dunno, it sounded like an amazing gig to me. Marrying an alien god? Who could refuse that?”  


Keith doesn’t say anything at first, and Shiro braces himself for a sarcastic remark. Instead, there’s a half-laugh that’s quickly smothered by a cough. Shiro blinks in surprise, craning his head around to properly look at Keith.  


“Are you _laughing_?” he asks, a little bewildered, but mostly delighted.  


“No I’m not!” Keith says loudly, turning away from Shiro, but there’s a waver to his voice that he can’t quite hide. Shiro reaches out to grab his hand, and Keith lets out a yelp as he’s pulled down into Shiro’s lap.  


“Shiro!”  


He flails a little as he tries to find his balance, but Shiro wraps his arm around Keith’s waist and holds him there, snug and secure. Keith rolls his eyes, mouth twitching as he fights not to break into laughter again.  


“Ha _ha_ , very funny, Shiro. You can let me go now.”  


Shiro just grins as he divides his attention between his lapful of a pouting Keith and ensuring his Lion flies safely back to the Castle. Black has it handled well enough anyway, if the exasperated rumble in his head tells him anything. He keeps his other hand on the controls, just in case.  


Keith, meanwhile, pushes half-heartedly at the arm around him and glares at Shiro when he doesn’t budge.  


“You gonna let me up?” he asks.  


Shiro pretends to think about it, humming as he leans in to press a kiss to Keith’s cheek. Keith wrinkles his nose in response.  


“Hmm, I don’t know. I kind of like having the ‘Paladin of the Sun’ in my arms. Can’t let some mysterious Lord of the galaxies have him, _or_ me, as tempting as the offer is.”  


Keith snorts as he gives in and leans back into Shiro’s hold.  


“You mean the same Lord that thought it’d be a great idea to marry both of us instead?”  


“Aw, babe, you know you’re the only one I wanna marry–”  


There’s a sudden hush as Shiro registers his own words and clamps his mouth shut. Keith goes still in his arms and Shiro feels himself flush, wishing he hadn’t said anything because, _oh god_ , what had he been _thinking_?  


Keith licks his lips and turns his face away, bangs sweeping low over his eyes so Shiro can’t read him at all. There’s a quiet bloom of panic expanding in his gut with every growing second of silence. He should say something, brush it off, but it’s like the very air is trapped in his throat and he can’t–  


“You mean that?” Keith asks, voice raspy and a little shaky and . . . hopeful.  


Oh.  


Shiro barely thinks as he lets go of the controls entirely to focus on Keith instead. He gently grasps Keith’s face with both hands to turn him around, heart lurching at the sight of wary violet eyes, the hesitance in Keith’s entire posture. The way he’s hunched in on himself, like he’s expecting someone to strike him.  


“I do.”  


The words are out before he can mull them over, but that’s okay. Of all the decisions he’s had to make in his life and all the situations that have brought forth his hesitancy, this is not one of them. Shiro doesn’t need to deliberate this one at all.  


Keith seems to stop breathing entirely as his gaze flickers, eyes dragging over Shiro’s features as though in search of his sincerity. It must dawn on him then, when Shiro refuses to look away; when Shiro gazes back with all the love and certainty he can muster.  


“Oh,” Keith says, and ha, of course even their reaction is mirrored.  


Keith’s cheeks turn pink even as his eyes grow wet, and Shiro wastes no time in reeling him in, their lips meeting in a kiss that’s soft and sweet, until Keith pushes into it with fervour. It catches Shiro momentarily off-guard, but he reciprocates with the same enthusiasm, his thumbs brushing over Keith’s jaw to wipe away the only tear that Keith lets loose.  


When they pull back, Keith stares at him in wonder, and Shiro smiles back, leaning his forehead against Keith’s.  


Abruptly, there's the sound of Black's playful rumble at the back of his head, and Shiro shushes her, shooing her quickly away. Keith and he are having a _moment_ , after all. He thinks he feels the sentient Lion equivalent of an eye-roll before she settles back down into a corner of his mind, but the rest of him is too focused on Keith to pay attention.  


“I do mean it,” Shiro says, just to see that glow in Keith’s eyes brighten, to see him blush and direct his gaze away in a shy sort of happiness. When Keith wraps his arms around Shiro’s torso, Shiro makes space for him, tucking Keith’s head under his chin with a sigh.  


“Good thing,” Keith murmurs, closing his eyes as he tightens his arms briefly. “Paladin of the Stars or not, I’d have had to let that Lord guy claim you after all.”  


Shiro pulls back, hand rising to clutch at his chest in mock offense.  


“You wouldn’t!”  


Keith doesn’t even look up; he just smirks, raising an eyebrow.  


“Wouldn’t I?”  


“Keeeith!” Shiro knows he’s practically whining, but heck, if a man doesn’t get to whine now, then when does he? Keith only laughs though, opening his eyes and sitting up. He leans forward to pull Shiro into another kiss, this one slow, deep and lingering; passionate. When he moves back, Shiro feels just the slightest bit dazed, mouth tender and tingling with the sense memory of the kiss. Staring at the pink of Keith’s lips, the realisation is slow to sink through him: this was a regular thing now. He could have this; he was _allowed_ to have this.  


Keith seems to have come to the same conclusion as he laces one hand through Shiro’s own and leans back in to push their foreheads together.  


“You’re right though,” he says, quiet and firm. “I wouldn’t. I’m not letting anyone take you away, Shiro. Never again.”  


Shiro thinks he might just choke at this point. He breathes out, slow and measured, quelling the prickling at the back of his eyes.  


“I know,” he says, simply, smiling. “I trust you.”  


**Author's Note:**

> Thank you Sheith feels for attacking me from nowhere.


End file.
